Posts by Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
IPCF Seeks Philanthropists of the Year Nominees
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Prairie Community Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2021 Philanthropists of the Year awards. Again this year, the Community Foundation will award two Philanthropist of the Year awards – one for Bloomington-Normal and the other for outside the Twin Cities (other parts of McLean County, plus DeWitt, Logan and Livingston counties).…
Read MoreSUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS: Illinois Wesleyan Language School Returns; Esports Camp Launched
Reposted from The Pantagraph By Lenore Sobota; Photos by Lewis Marien and David Proeber BLOOMINGTON — Illinois Wesleyan University is having its first Youth Esports and Leadership Camp this summer. The IWU Language School for Kids also is returning this summer in person after being virtual last summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Language School…
Read MoreProm a Chance to Gather, Socialize for Area Seniors
On Saturday, May 1, about 50 senior citizens gathered at the Replex in LeRoy for the 4th Annual Living Well Senior Prom. After having to cancel the 2020 Senior Prom because of COVID-19 restrictions, attendees were eager for the chance to gather and socialize after receiving their vaccinations earlier in the spring, said Barbara…
Read MoreIWU Language School for Kids Hosts Immersion Summer Camps
BLOOMINGTON — Children from pre-K to fifth grade have the opportunity to learn French and Spanish language and culture this summer through the Illinois Wesleyan University Language School for Kids (LSK). LSK classes will meet in the Buck Memorial Library or on IWU’s quad, when weather permits, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 2:30…
Read MoreIPCF Awards 66 Grants to Local Nonprofits
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Prairie Community Foundation has awarded $119,173 in three categories of competitive grants to 66 programs in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties. Grant awards ranged from $500 to $5,500. Funding came from donors to the Community Foundation’s annual campaign, the Jerome Mirza Foundation, and several endowments at the Community Foundation. Receiving…
Read MoreYouth Engaged in Philanthropy Participants Sought
BLOOMINGTON – High school students in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties are sought to participate in Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) during the 2021-2022 school year. An initiative of the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, YEP is a program in which high school students learn about philanthropy by allocating grant funds to local nonprofits. YEP…
Read MoreHow Some Groups Are Helping Seniors Navigate a Largely Online Vaccine Sign-Up Process
Reposted from The Pantagraph By Lyndsay Jones; Photos by David Proeber BLOOMINGTON — A “matter of milliseconds.” That’s how Carol Kalmes, 74, describes the process of snagging an appointment for the COVID vaccine online. It’s something Kalmes, a retired teacher, learned through trial and error — a learning process she feels lucky to have navigated,…
Read MoreIPCF Offers Grants in 3 Categories
Applications Accepted During February BLOOMINGTON – Illinois Prairie Community Foundation will accept applications for grants in three categories from February 1-26, 2021. Interested applicants may find information about the grants on IPCF’s website along with links to the online applications. The Community Foundation expects to award more than $120,000 during this grant round. These grants…
Read MoreGrants Awarded to 16 Local Nonprofit Programs
BLOOMINGTON – Sixteen local nonprofit programs have been awarded a total of $52,212 in grants thanks to the Women to Women Giving Circle and Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) at the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation. The Women to Women Giving Circle seeks to improve the lives of women and children in Central Illinois and focused…
Read More‘A BETTER WAY’: Towanda Group Uses Backpacks to Help Kids Entering Foster Care
Reposted from The Pantagraph By Sierra Henry; Photos by David Proeber TOWANDA — Valerie Gray Beguin still remembers those garbage bags. Working for the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, it was her job to help kids get out of abusive and neglectful households. Sometimes it would be six children at a time. In…
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